Faceless

Today's prompt, Faceless, stumped me for a little while. It certainly seemed an odd word to reflect on. But looking around my house, I realized I have plenty of faceless little angels commemorating some of the biggest moments of my life.

I've been given, or have purchased myself, several Willow Tree angels in the past 5 years or so. The first was given to me by my oldest sister. When I decided to move away from home in order to be closer to the man who would one day become my husband, she gave me a little angel holding a butterfly. The angel of freedom. For not being afraid to chase your dreams.

I was so inspired by that little gift and what it meant for my relationship with Rich, when we decided to get married about a year later, I knew our cake had to be topped with something similar. For that I found the Promise angels. They danced on top of our cake in the sweetest embrace.

Three years later, I was so touched when my aunt gifted me my third angel: Cherish. A pregnant mama gently cradling her swollen belly in her arms. My angels were beginning to tell a very beautiful story.

Nine months later, my fourth, and most recent angel came to me from a friend after Ryan slipped away. The Guardian Angel. A toddling little boy, holding the hands of his mama.

I never really made too much of the fact that these angels don't have faces. When I thought about it at first, I guess I just thought it was so you could imagine any face you wanted. You could picture your own face on the angel.

Now I think it's more than just imagining a face. It's imagining the emotion. My dancing angels, who once stood strong at the promise of beautiful future together, now embrace to hold each other up. Knowing that when you choose to build a life with someone, sometimes it's going to be hard. Life is going to throw all kinds of trouble at you and you have to hold each other up through those moments.

​My cherished pregnant angel is holding onto her baby as fiercely as she can. She doesn't want to let it go.

The toddler is now walking away from his mama, and all she can do is try to hold on to him.

The angel of freedom is setting her butterfly free.

My angels still tell a beautiful story. It's one that I wish could have had a different ending. But I wouldn't trade my nine months with Ryan for anything.